Lubrication device



July 3, 1934. H. R. TEAR 1,964,865

' LUBRICATION DEVICE Filed Feb. 15, 1932 i 7' I I 5 I N V EN TOR. Hweer8 72m? Patented July 3, 1934 PATENT OFFICE LUBRICATION DEVICE Harry R.Tear, South Bend, Ind., assignor to The Lubrication Corporation, SouthBend, Ind., a corporation of Delaware Application February 15, 1932,Serial No. 593,107

13 Claims. (Cl. 22147.4)

This invention relates to improvements in lubrication devices andparticularly to pistons or followers, for lubricant containers andcartridges.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved piston or follower,whereinla hand grip is provided for rearwardly withdrawing the piston orfollower, from the container, or cartridge within which it is disposedand for simultaneously open-. ing a vent through the piston head toequalize pressure on the opposite sides thereof.

Hereafter, wherever the term piston is used, whether in the descriptionor claims except where the context'otherwise requires, it is to beunderstood as meaning a follower as well.

Another object is to provide a piston wherein air ahead of the piston ispassed therethrough when the piston is manually forced into thecontainer or cartridge to engage with the contents.

Other objects and advantages and uses of the invention will be or shouldbecome apparent after reading the following specification and claimsand.

after consideration of the accompanying drawing forming a part of thisapplication, in which:

Fig. 1 is a part sectional elevation illustrating an application of myimproved piston;

Fig. 2 is a rear plan view of the piston illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view along the line I]IIII of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a modified form of the piston; and

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the piston illustrated in Fig. 4.

In general my improved piston is intended for use in any type ofcontainer, cartridge or cylinder for lubricants or similar fluids whereaccess to the rear of the piston is available through the rear endthereof for the purpose of withdrawing the piston to replenish thecontents.

It is desirable in the type of assembly above described that some meansbe provided for bleeding out air ahead of the piston as it is initiallymoved in against the contents so that air will notbe entrapped withinthe space ahead of the piston to ultimately find its way into thepressure cylinder of the feeder or gun with which the assembly may beassociated. It is also desirable that the lubricant or fluid shall notpass through the bleed opening when pressure is applied upon the pistonmovement of the piston that air be bled in the opposite direction torelieve the relatively lower pressure created by rearward movement ofthe piston.

All these features and others are provided for from the rear and thatduring the withdrawal in the embodiments of the invention herein setforth: I

In Fig. 1, I have illustrated a lubricmfefiie 1 gun of the hand typecomprising a lubricant pressure producing pump 2 operated by a manuallyactuated push rod 3, a discharge nozzle 4, and a lubricant casing 5within which a piston 6 constructed in'accordance with my invention isslidably disposed. A lubricant conducting stud 7 serves to interconnectthe pump 2 and interior of the casing 5.

The piston 6 comprises a rigid metal disc 8 forming the head thereof towhich a relatively light skirted sheet metal member 9 is fixed, theskirt portion 10 extending rearwardly and parallel with the axis of thehead. The member 9' has an annular shoulder 11 formed at the outerportion of its forward wall, between which, and the adjacent face of theplate 8, an annular cork packing ring 12 is securely held. The ring 12has a rela- 76 tively broad side wall which fits closely against theinner wall of the casing 5. Aligned openings 13 and 14 are providedthrough the head plate 8 and the member 9 respectively,and a flap offelt 15.having an aperture 16 of less diameter than the openings 13 and14 is disposed against the adjacent mouth of the opening 14 with theaxis of the opening 16 aligned with that of the openings 13 and 14.

A resilient hand grip 18 formed of clock spring stock is secured to therear face of the piston at its opposite ends by rivets 19 and 20 whichalso serve to hold the head plate 8 and member 9 together. The flap 15lies under one end 21 of the grip 18 and is secured in place by therivet 20. The end 21 of the grip 18 is so formed as to entirely coverthe flap 15 and close the aperture 16 therethrough under yielding springpressure as shown in detail in Fig. 3.

In the assembly shown in Fig. 1, I have included a cap 23 for the casing5, which may be secured thereto by a bayonet look as indicated at 24. Acompression spring 25 is disposed between the piston 6 and the cap 23 soas to subject the lubricant in the casing to a positive pressure. Thespring may be secured to the cap as shown at 26 so that it will not bemisplaced when the cap is removed.

In loading the gun of Fig. 1 the cap 23 with the attached spring 25 isremoved and the piston 6 withdrawn by pulling rearwardly upon the handgrip 18. During this process a relatively lower pressure is built upahead of the piston as it moves rearwardly which tends to resist pistonmovement to such an extent that the resilient hand I from each other.

grip is drawn away from the flap 15 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3,thus breaking the seal normally maintained by the flap and cooperatingportion of the member 8 and the end 21 of the hand grip, so as to ventair through the openings 13, 14 and 16, to equalize the pressures onopposite sides of the piston and permit the unretarded withdrawal of thepiston.

Lubricant may then be placed in the casing 5, with care not to entrappockets of air, and the piston pressed manually in by manual pressureapplied at any point on its rear face, except the hand grip 18. In sodoing air is permitted to escape through the piston, by virtue of theflap 15 and associate structure acting as a check valve, until the headof the piston is brought into direct contact with the lubricant.Thereafter the piston may act as a follower piston urged forward byatmospheric pressure upon withdrawal of lubricant by gun action throughthe outlet '7 or if the cap 23 with its spring is secured in place, as apressure piston to place the lubricant under light pressure and urge itinto the pump cylinder 2 when the inlet opening thereof is free.

In the latter instance it will be noted that the spring 25 bears againstthe end 21 of the resilient grip member 18 to effectively increase thenormal seating of the flap and associate parts so that lubricant can notbe forced through the piston as in the case of air when the piston .wasinitially moved inwardly against the lubricant without pressure upon thehand grip 18.

one on each face of the cork packing'disc 31 with their skirted portion35 and 36 respectively ex-- tending outwardly. With reference to Figure5 each of the members 33 and 34 has a pair ofround openings 37therethrough at 180 from one another and a pair of relatively largerectangu lar openings 38 therethrough disposed at 180 When assembledupon the packing disc 31 the members 33 and 34 are arranged so that theopening 3'7 of one registers 'with the opening 38 of the other as shownin Figure 5. The disc 31 has a pair of passages 39 therethrough whichare aligned with the openings 37 of the member 33 and with therectangular openings 38 of the member 34.

A resilient hand grip 41 similar in function to the hand grip 18 issecured at opposite ends to the assembly by rivets 42 which also act tohold the disc 31 and members 33 and 34 to one another. The hand grip 42bears, at its ends, directly upon the outer face of the member 34 and isformed with flat intermediate portions 43 which lie within the openings38 and bear directly upon the adjacent face of the cork packing disc 31to yieldingly close the mouths of the passages 37. The central portionof the hand grip 42 is formedto provide a loop with which the finger ora hook may engage for the purpose of withdrawing the piston from itscylinderon casing.

In use, the piston of Figures 4 and 5 operates precisely as described inconnection with that form shown in Figures 1 to 3, and may be used,therefore, as either a follower or pressure piston. It is to beunderstood that the above described ing a head, a check valve located inthe head of the piston, a part of said valve including a resilient handgrip secured at opposite ends to the rear face of said piston head.

2. As an article of manufacture, a piston comprising a member having anintegral piston skirt, a head plate, packing disposed between saidskirted member and said head plate, said piston having an openingtherethrough, an apertured flap disposed over the mouth of said openingat the rear face of said piston and a resilient hand grip secured tosaid piston and arranged normally to cover the aperture in said flap andyieldingly to press the flap tightly against the rear face of saidpiston.

and formed with a rearwardly extending skirt, a

packing ring disposed between the plate and said member for engaginglaterally with the side walls of a container or cylinderwithin which thepiston may be used, a check valve disposed in the head of the piston anda resilient member extending rearwardly of the piston forming a part ofsaid check valve.

4. As an article of manufacture, a piston comprising, a disc of packingmaterial having its edges adapted to engage with the side walls of thecylinder with which the piston is to be used, said disc having a passageextending transversely therethrough and a hand grip of resilientmaterial secured to the disc on its rearward side and formed 'with aportion thereof contacting the rear surface of said disc about the mouthof said passage yieldingly to close said passage.

5. As an article of manufacture, a piston comprising a disc of packingmaterial the'edges of which are free to engage with the side walls ofthe cylinder within which the piston may be used, a pair of skirtedmembers mounted one on either side of said disc with their skirt porvtions extending outwardly, said disc and skirted members having alignedopeningstherethrough and a resilient hand grip secured to the piston,

' a portion of which lies normally over the mouth of the adjacent ofsaid openings yieldingly to close the passage formed by the openings.

6. As an article of manufacture, a piston comprising a disc of packingmaterial, a metal member having a rearwardly extending skirt secured tothe rear face of said disc and having :1 Portion of its disc contactingwall cut away to expose the disc, said disc having a passagetherethrough, the mouth of which lies within the cut away portion ofsaid metal member and a hand grip secured to the rear face of saidpiston with a part thereof extending through said cut away portion ofsaid metal member and contacting yieldingly with the surface of-saiddisc to close the passage therethrough.

7.,As an article of manufacture, a piston hava head, said head having apassage therethrough and a hand grip of spring steel having close themouth of said passage.

8. As an article of manufacture, a piston having a head, a check valvelocated in the head of said piston, a part of which includes a hand gripof flat spring steel secured adjacent its ends and having anintermediate portion formed in a loop.

9. As an article of manufacture, a piston comprising a pair of members,at least one of which has an integral piston skirt, piston packing meanssecured between said members, said piston having a passage therethroughfor establishing communication between its opposite sides, and a handgrip an integral portion of which is resilient and closes one end ofsaid passage.

10. As an articleof manufacture, a piston including a disc of packingmaterial about its perimeter, said disc having a passage therethroughfor establishing communication between opposite sides of the piston, anda resilient fiat metal member contacting the surface of said packingdisc about the rear mouth of said passage to form a yielding closuretherefor, and a handle on said resilient means.

11. As an article of manufacture, the piston comprising a member havinga rearwardly extending skirt, piston packing associated with saidmember, said member having a passage therethrough establishingcommunication between opposite sides of the piston and a resilient handgrip secured at its opposite ends to the rear I face of said piston andhaving a part thereof held yieldingly over the mouth of said passage.12. As an article of manufacture, a piston comprising a disc of packingmaterial having its edges adapted to engage with the side walls of thecylinder within which said piston is to be used, said d-i c having apassage extending transversely therethrough and a hand grip of resilientmaterial secured to the disc at its rearward side and having a portionthereof contacting the rear surface of said disc about the mouth of saidpas sage yieldingly to close the passage.

13. As an article of manufacture, a piston comprising a body having apassage extending transversely therethrough and a hand grip of resilientmaterial secured at opposite ends to the rear face of said body, aportion of the hand grip being so disposed as yieldingly to close themouth of said passage.

HARRY R. 'I'EAR.

